DEPRESSION

Causes of Depression:

Suppressed anger

Grief, loss

Repeated losses

Loneliness

Mental strain, long-term stress

Disappointment

Life becomes unbalanced with too little or too much work

Economic problems

Bad relationship

Aging- with a belief that the surface/physical looks is what matters

Loss of identity- children leave the home, divorce, loss of job

A childhood of neglect

Low self esteem- losses are taken more personally

Alcoholism, weak liver

Chemical imbalances in the brain

Head injury

Hormonal imbalances- childbirth (post-partum depression), menopause.

Common symptoms of Depression:

Exhaustion, which isn’t helped by sleep

Insomnia

Use of sleep as an escape

Loss of interest in appearance

Loss of appetite

Excess smoking, drinking, drugs or using work to dull the pain

Loss of libido (low sex drive)

Lack of motivation, feels helpless and hopeless

Inability to cope with extra demands

Difficulty making decisions

Things seem to take a long time

Thinking, remembering and concentrating are all difficult

Lack of joy

Sadness, unhappiness

Crying, sometimes for no apparent reason

Loneliness, in spite of having friends or family around

A feeling that no one can help

Self-pity, absorbed in sad thoughts about self

Low self-confidence, low self-esteem, a sense of inferiority

Guilt, anxiety, either blaming others or oneself

Negative, pessimistic thoughts that churn around and around

Gloom, a feeling of flatness

Indifference to family, close friends and/or loved ones

A feeling of pointlessness

Increased irritability

Mood swings

Feeling numb, apathetic, dazed.  May just sit and stare.

Feeling imprisoned, separate- as if nothing is real

Despair, as if a cloud hangs overhead 

Suicidal thoughts, life is bleak

Homeopathic Treatment for Depression:

  

Aurum metallicum-

Despairing depression, commonly caused by a business loss or a personal failure of some sort.  Everything seems black.  You feel you have let family and/or employees down.  Suicidal thoughts.  You feel worthless.  You feel this feeling will never end.

Kali phosphoricum-

Depression from too much excitement.  Exhaustion.  Anxiety.

Lachesis muta-

Depression from suppression (physical or emotional) of expression due

to another person or circumstances.  Depressed and suspicious.  Feels much worse on waking in the morning. 

Natrum muriaticum-

Quietly and deeply depressed.  Sad and resentful.  Depression comes on after a loss or a disappointment.  Hides feelings: may not realize the depth of their emotions and especially doesn’t want anyone else to see them.  Will only cry when alone.

Pulsatilla nigricans-

Depressed and weepy.  May have suffered a loss.  Feels lonely, wants company and sympathy and feels better for it.  Feels better after crying.  Can easily cry in the company of others.

Sepia-

Worn out, depressed and irritable.  Feels better for crying but wants to be alone and doesn’t want to be comforted.  Indifferent to close friends and relatives (including their children).  Feels guilty about not feeling.

Reference:

Homeopathic Guide to Stress: Safe and Effective Natural Ways To Alleviate Physical and Emotional Stress by Miranda Castro

Flower Essences for Depression

Gentian- a temporary setback.  You feel discouraged for a while but then decide to try again.

Gorse- feeling hopeless and discouraged.

Mustard- feeling you have a dark cloud over your head, in a pit.  It comes on suddenly, with no reason, and leaves just as suddenly.  Can be hormonal.

Sweet Chestnut- “the dark night of the soul.”  Deep anguish.

Associated Flower Essences

Aspen- fear and anxiety with no known reason. 

Cherry plum- fear of losing one’s mind, losing control. 

Elm- feeling overwhelmed.

Honeysuckle- living in the past.  You feel it was better or worse back then.

Hornbeam- the Monday morning blahs, all week.

Impatiens- irritable and impatient.

Larch- low self esteem.

Oak- total exhaustion.

Pine- feeling guilt.

White Chestnut- persistent thoughts.  Unable to quiet mind.

Supplements for Depression

SAMe

S-adenoslmethionine, or SAMe, is a substance that is synthesized from the amino acid methionine and that is found literally everywhere in the body.  In biochemical terms, SAMe is a “methyl donor.”  It carries a very important piece of a molecule that is critical to a myriad of body processes, such as making cartilage, detoxifying blood, and regulating mood.  SAMe works within the cell, stimulating biochemical reactions that transform various “raw materials” into bioactive substances that the body can use, such as neurotransmitters, DNA, RNA and protein.  It has been credited with slowing or reversing the progress of osteoarthritis, improving memory, alleviating depression and reducing alcohol-induced liver damage among other feats.  Take 200-400 mg 1-2 times a day.

SAMe: The Safe and Natural Way to Combat Depression and Relieve the Pain of Osteoarthritis by Sol Grazi, M.D. and Marie Costa

Kava

The key uses of kava are: nervous anxiety, restlessness, depression and insomnia. 

Recommended dosage is 45-70 mg. Three times daily.  Use a dose providing 180-210 mg. one hour before bedtime for sedative effects.

The Healing Power of Herbs by Michael T. Murray, N.D.

St. John’s Wort

The key uses of St. John’s Wort are depression, sleep disorders, and viral infections.  Historically used as a nerve tonic, St. John’s Wort is used widely as a mild to moderate antidepressant.  This action appears to be based on the ability of hypericin and other components of St. John’s Wort to inhibit monoamine oxidase (MOA) types A and B.  As a result of this inhibition the level within the brain increases of certain nerve impulse transmitters those that maintain normal mood and emotional stability.  The best preparation to use appears to be the St. John’s Wort extract standardized to contain 0.3% hypericin.  The recommended dosage of this extract as an antidepressant is 30 mg. three times daily.  Each dose should be taken with meals.

The Healing Power of Herbs by Michael T. Murray, N.D.

Note: None of the above supplements should be taken with prescription drugs for depression or anxiety.